


The Love in Your Eyes

by avengemyheart



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Period Typical Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-08-08 00:09:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7735246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avengemyheart/pseuds/avengemyheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>First chapter of an idea that's been rattling around in my head forever. More to come for sure. But I want to see if it's even worth exploring.</p>
    </blockquote>





	The Love in Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> First chapter of an idea that's been rattling around in my head forever. More to come for sure. But I want to see if it's even worth exploring.

"Mama, why do Bucky's eyes change colors?" A young Steve Rogers asked his mother one day as he colored on his scrappy sketch pad. They couldn't afford a brand new one. Sure it seemed like such a small thing, with a small price, but every single penny they had, they used for more important things. Like Steve's medicines, or the bills. 

Sarah set the knife on the cutting board and turned to look at her son. "What are you talking about Steven?" She used his full name to show that she expected a full, truthful answer. 

Steve frowned at the serious note in her voice. "Um...Bucky? The son of your new friend at the hospital." He clarified, assuming she might not know of Bucky's official nickname, given by Steve himself. 

"No no, what do you mean that his eyes change colors?" She corrected and turned the stove off. They needn't be wasting any extra gas or electricity, no matter how important the discussion was. 

Steve perked up instantly. "Oh! His eyes change. When he's angry they're all red and scary. When he's sad they're sorta blue. And when he's happy they get all yellow-y. There are other colors too." He explained as he went back to coloring on the page. 

Sarah pursed her lips and looked down at the floor for a moment. An unusually small set of arms, for a seven year old, wrapped around her shoulders as best they could. 

"Mama, what's wrong?" Steve asked. 

"Oh uh. It's nothing. You'll understand when you're older." She said in a soft voice, gently patting his head then kissing his cheek. "I need to make a call, can you go to your room to draw?" She requested. 

Steve, being the well behaved child he was, collected his things and scurried to his room. 

Sarah Rogers was a more open minded woman. She lived alone with her son, having kicked the boy's father out after he came home drunk and in a rage once again. So when she realized the implications of Steve seeing the color in Bucky's eyes, she wasn't disgusted, but scared for both her son and his friend. Seeing someone's mood through their eyes was one of the most intimate things about having a soulmate. No matter who they hid their emotions from, they couldn't hide them from their one true love. But being soul mates of the same gender...that just wasn't allowed. 

Of course, there were platonic soul mates of the same gender. There were still plenty of stigmas against even them, but it was legal and most times socially acceptable. Many platonic soul mates didn't get /that/ love in life. If they couldn't be loved by their soul mate, the person they were destined to be with... It was going to be very hard to find anyone else to be romantic with. 

Sarah shook those thoughts away and dialed Mrs. Barnes' number. 

***

When Steve's mother said that he'll understand when he's older, she must have meant older by a week. Because sure enough, the next week at school, they spoke about soul mates. This only served to confuse Steve more though. This meant he and Bucky could be together and best friends forever and ever! Why was his mom so upset about that? He shrugged it off, assuming it must be a weird grown up thing. Grown ups remedied to be weird like that. They made the simplest things more complicated than they had to be. Like how his mom had rushed him to the hospital that time he only had a silly cough. It wasn't like the other times he was sick. At least that's what he thought. 

***

Bucky grumbled as he yanked Steve out of the alley and into the sun so he could see how bad his freshly bruised eye was. 

It was a dark purple already and would likely be near black by the next day. 

"Dammit Steve." The eighteen year old hissed. "Ya hafta stay out of shit like that. You're not meant for fightin'." He drawled. He softened though, as he saw the clear light red swirl in his eyes. It wasn't just anger on Steve, but something akin to righteous anger. "What'd the guy even do?" He asked. 

Steve clenched his jaw, his knuckles turning white inside his jacket pockets. "He insulted you. Said you ain't nuthin' but a fag." He growled under his breath. "We went to junior high with him. Guess he still thinks it's weird us bein' soul mates. But he's got no right insulting you like that."

Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "But we're just platonic soul mates." He said smoothly, even though the thought of only ever being friends with Steve was killing him. He /loved/ Steve. And not in just a platonic way. But he was not going to tell Steve that. Then he really would be a fag... He shook the thought away and sighed. "Stevie, ya gotta ignore shit like that. He's just pissed he ain't found someone as spitfire as you to be with, even platonically." He said and slung an arm over his friend's shoulder. 

Steve sighed and didn't respond, just pressed close to Bucky, seeking his warmth and not caring who saw it. He loved Bucky. He loved Bucky so much he felt overwhelmed. But he couldn't ever tell the other man that. For that reason specifically, he was another man. 

***

Having a soulmate of the same gender was hard. But Bucky didn't mind. Nothing in his life had been exactly /easy/. The only thing he couldn't stand about the situation was that Steve didn't care for him as more than a friend. He gave into the social norm and just became good friends with Bucky. It wasn't Steve's fault though, of course. Bucky was the freak that was having impure thoughts about his best friend. 

Until... Steve fucking kissed him. They were standing on the back stairs behind their apartment (which they shared solely because it was cheaper, no feelings were involved at all...) and Steve leaned up and pulled him down for a fierce kiss. His lips felt like fire against Bucky's. Sparks literally flew, or maybe that was just the light flickering. Steve must have been drunk on grief. Or maybe he was just actually drunk. Though, there wasn't a taste of liquor on Steve's lips. And even with the death of his mother, surely he wasn't stupid enough to drink with his multitude of medications. So...did he mean it? 

Steve gasped and pulled away. "S--sorry. I'm kind of vulnerable now and everything is screwed up and I just couldn't hold back anymore."

"Woah what? Hold back? You mean..." Bucky's eyes widened as he realized what Steve was saying. "Oh." He breathed. Right before yanking him into the apartment and kissing him hard and long. Fuck, they were idiots. 


End file.
